NASHUA – Pennichuck Middle School’s DECA program, along with our adviser, Audrey Langill, and chaperone Jean Inzerillo were invited to participate at a field trip hosted by Junior Achievement and Microsoft at the Rockingham Mall in Salem recently.

We students came back with business vocabulary and thoughts on what to consider when applying for jobs in the future. We were told that though it may seem ages away, soon we would have to think about career options, jobs to look for and more young adult necessities.

“The employees at Microsoft provided my peers and me insight that would soon open doors – specifically, in business and future jobs,” Pennichuck DECA member Jaden Smith said. “Many thanks go out to Junior Achievement and the Microsoft community for this awesome opportunity.”

When we arrived at the store, after warm welcomes, the workers presented us an overview of Microsoft, quizzing our attentive crowd on questions such as when the corporation was founded (1975) and the names of the founders (Bill Gates and Paul Allen).

After a fun warm-up game, which was said to be played every single morning by the Microsoft staff, we split up into a few groups. Then, the workers went to what they had invited us to the field trip for: job shadows. All of us got a detailed overview on what different Microsoft jobs had to offer and what they thought about their jobs.

What we really got out of that was that these people absolutely love what they do, and communicated to us that they’re treated like family by their bosses or even some of the hierarchy in the Microsoft Corp. Every single one of the workers exclaimed that we students shouldn’t be so particular about the pay or other “wants” when we get our first few jobs, but that the focus should be on the wellness you receive from the company, and that you feel content with colleagues and the job itself.

From the product advisers whose job is more than it sounds to the tech specialists who work with hundreds of wires and modern technology each and every day, they all adored working for Microsoft and really felt at home, which we pupils found mesmerizing.

They taught us a great deal about business, such as marketing,
franchising, other terms commonly
used but not often explained thoroughly, and technology information, such as
each individual product – specifically,
the new Surface 3. Yes, we were permitted to use these awesome and modern devices!

Junior Achievement and Microsoft really put a lot into this field trip, and all of us Pennichuck students took out of it the meaningful and educational information meant to be taught.